New Amish Ice Storage House

[liz stevens]

The Amish are building ice storage houses using modern day materials in order to provide super insulating factors.

We were recently visiting our Amish friends when we looked out in the back yard and found this ice house being in use in Southern Ohio.

The Amish build the ice house just like an igloo using 20 thick Styrofoam blocks starting on a concrete slab for the floor, the walls, and then across the top.

The blocks are stacked and strapped together using metal banding, such as is used to bundle lumber and crates. A chainsaw is used to cut a notch down each joint and then expandable spray foam seals the joints making a huge Styrofoam ice chest.

The door is fitted in at a bevel so that it will seal in tight as the door is closed. A truck door latch is used to hold the door in tight, rubber membrane lining is used as a door seal as well as for the floor. A floor drain carries away the water from the melted ice.

The Styrofoam block structure is then covered with another exterior building with standard a gable roof. Some Amish build these ice houses in the corner of a pole barn building.

Mice are potential problem. The ice house is left open just enough around the outside of the foam blocks in order to monitor for mice and other potential animal or rodent problems.

To make pollution free ice wood frames are made out 2x6 boards and then lined with rubber membrane lining to make a water tight pond. The pond is filled up with well water and left to freeze for the ice harvest during the cold winter months.

One ice house can serve a large family or several families keeping them ice for refrigeration, cooling off drinks and making ice cream all year long. The Amish will generally have second and maybe even third generation families living on the same property.

 

[~gd]

That is nice but where the heck do they get 20" Thick Styrofoam Blocks? Also that concreate slab is going to suck a lot of heat in from the outside! Our old fashioned ice house had the door elevated about 18 inches with sawdust Under planks to provide a heat shield from the ground.

 

[Mr.Andersson]

That is nice but where the heck do they get 20" Thick Styrofoam Blocks? Also that concreate slab is going to suck a lot of heat in from the outside! Our old fashioned ice house had the door elevated about 18 inches with sawdust Under planks to provide a heat shield from the ground.

Excellent point, I was wondering the same about insulating the floor.

 

[2dream]

Dow Chemical makes 20" styrofoam. As I am sure a lot of other companies do. It is used for inground insulation in some areas of the country.
Also used for walk in coolers, clean rooms, etc. Maybe they have a contractor friend.

 

[User4960]

I get hot easily because of hyperthyroid. I noticed years ago that a garage with a concrete floor can be a nice cool place on a hot summer day. Concrete floors that do not extend to the outside provide coldness for some reason.

 

[~gd]

I get hot easily because of hyperthyroid. I noticed years ago that a garage with a concrete floor can be a nice cool place on a hot summer day. Concrete floors that do not extend to the outside provide coldness for some reason.

What they provide is called thermal mass. They Feel cold in the heat of a day But after the sun goes down and the air cools they feel warm. If there is moisture available they can also feel cool because of evaprative cooling.

 

[Icu4dzs]

Forgive my ignorance on the history of ice houses but weren't many of them built below grade just like root cellars were? Seems to me that the same would be a good idea. If the ground were covered with 20" styrofoam and a concrete slab floated on top of it, there would be much better temperature control, right? Aren't builders doing the same thing with houses built with AAC blocks now? (*aerated autoclaved cement) Really interesting material. I have a friend here in SoDAK who has built two houses with AAC. You can cut it with regular saw blades and it makes an R20 wall with an 8" thick block. Seems like that would be worth a try.
Just askin'
Trim sends
//BT//

 

[liz stevens]

Sorry for the confusion, the Styrofoam blocks are on top of the slab, up the walls and across the top. One complete super sized ice chest!

 

[~gd]

Forgive my ignorance on the history of ice houses but weren't many of them built below grade just like root cellars were? Seems to me that the same would be a good idea. If the ground were covered with 20" styrofoam and a concrete slab floated on top of it, there would be much better temperature control, right? Aren't builders doing the same thing with houses built with AAC blocks now? (*aerated autoclaved cement) Really interesting material. I have a friend here in SoDAK who has built two houses with AAC. You can cut it with regular saw blades and it makes an R20 wall with an 8" thick block. Seems like that would be worth a try.
Just askin'
Trim sends
//BT//

Hey Trim I have never seen one built below grade because outside of places like No & So DAK that ice melts and who wants a flooded Storage space? I have seen them built into the side of a hill or earth mounded [with drainage]. You have to remember that once you get below the frost line the dirt is a fairly stable temperature [40-50F]. I have never heard of AAC. Aerated concrete yes but what does a autoclave Bring to the product? Most autoclaves are pressurized which would destroy the bubbles formed by aetation.